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Sick leave in Germany: all topics at a glance
When you need a certificate, what it contains, how long it can run and who pays while you are ill. Every answer rests on the wording of the law and on published court rulings, not on claims.
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What a German Sick Note ContainsWhich details the certificate holds, why your employer never sees a diagnosis and who receives which copy.Sick Notes by Phone: What Applies NowThe telephone sick note is being abolished. What still applies today and which route remains.Online Sick Notes: When They Are ValidWhen a certificate issued online holds up, which court rulings stand behind it and how to spot dubious providers.A Sick Note From Day OneThe duty from day 1 has been agreed but is not law yet. What applies today and what your employer may already require.Continued Pay: Who Pays and for How Long?Six weeks of continued pay, then sick pay. Amounts, waiting periods and what applies in a mini-job.Ill for Longer Than Six WeeksWhen sick pay takes over, how much it is and why the certificates have to follow on without gaps.Backdated Sick Notes: What Is Possible?Why a certificate for yesterday is the exception and what is possible instead.The Electronic Sick Note (eAU)How the employer retrieval works, who it does not cover and what to do when nothing arrives.From When Do You Need a Sick Note?Three calendar days by law, from day one if your employer asks. And what is set to change.How Long Can You Be Signed Off?How long a doctor may sign you off, how follow-up certificates have to connect and what applies if you return earlier.Dismissal While on Sick LeaveWhy a sick note does not protect you from dismissal, what happens to your pay and which deadline is running.Ill During Your Probation PeriodContinued pay after four weeks, no protection against dismissal before six months. What that means in practice.Sick Notes Without a Doctor: The RiskWhat courts have decided about certificates issued without any doctor contact and how to recognise such providers.When Your Employer Refuses ItWhat the Continued Remuneration Act requires, why the eAU is often misunderstood and how evidential value works.From a Private Doctor With Statutory InsuranceWhy a private certificate is valid for people with statutory insurance too, and what to keep in mind.With a Cold: How Long Are You Signed Off?The usual duration, when seeing a doctor makes sense and when warning signs speak against it.A Sick Note at the WeekendWhat applies if you fall ill on a Saturday or Sunday and the practice is closed.